Leading up to Father’s Day, one father-daughter duo got the rare chance to serve together aboard the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier.
U.S. Navy Senior Chief Dan Reyes and his daughter, Reserve Officer Training Corps Midshipman Gabriella Reyes, spent eight days of their deployment together aboard the aircraft carrier stationed in the South China Sea.
“It’s been a dream come true,” Dan Reyes said.
Dan Reyes is originally from Miami, Florida, but is stationed in San Diego. His daughter Gabriella is currently a student at Florida State University.
The Navy has various policies preventing family members from serving together in order to avoid favoritism or, worst-case scenario, the end of a bloodline. Oftentimes, in the Navy, the word family is thrown around when referring to the people you are stationed or deployed with — spending long hours together, and sleeping in close quarters, brings a familial bond to the group.
“In my years of service, I would never have imagined I would be deployed with one of my daughters. I’m so happy that I was able to share with her and her fellow midshipmen what we do while deployed,” Dan Reyes said.
Dan Reyes let his kids decide if they wanted to go into the military, never imposing his life choices onto his children, but he said he wasn’t surprised that his daughter and her twin sister chose the Navy at the end of the day.
“It’s an honor knowing that my daughters are following my footsteps in the Navy, and they’ll be continuing the defense of freedom and democracy,” he said.
Midshipman Gabriella Reyes is currently a junior at FSU, where she decided to join the Navy ROTC. During ROTC studies, it is traditional for midshipmen to spend time on naval vessels to experience different Navy communities, which helps midshipmen decide what they might want to do post-graduation.
“I wanted to come here, of course, to see my dad, but I had the goal to learn during my time here as well. Everyone I have come across has helped me with that goal, whether it be sharing their advice on leadership or explaining their roles on the ship,” Gabriella Reyes said.
During her time aboard the USS Nimitz, Gabriella Reyes observed flight deck operations, participated in a replenishment at sea, and, of course, shared several meals with her father.
While Senior Chief Dan Reyes didn’t guide his daughters into the Navy, his daughters were inspired by his life choices and wanted to follow in his footsteps. Gabriella Reyes said her dad’s service had a strong effect on her life because she got to see how “his time in the Navy has shaped him as a person.”
She was inspired and wanted the opportunity to experience the same change in herself. Seeing her father in action just heightened those feelings.
“Seeing [him in this element] has put the picture together in seeing how hard he works,” she said. “I do see both his roles as a senior chief and as a father meshing together. He deals tough love but always wants the best, and that’s what he works towards.”
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